Brake control mechanism



May 6', l947 l.` D. THosTENsoN BRAKE CONTROL MEcHANIsM Original Filed April 13, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l gmc/Mm HA ,zw/5, K/Echg F05 TER HA/R/s FOR THE FIRM May 6, 1947 L. D. THosTENsoN 2,420,110

BRAKE CONTROL MECHANISM Original Filed April 13, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet'2 FOR THE FI RM Patented May 6, 1947 UNITED STATE.

OFFICE BRAKE. CONTRGL MECISM Lewis D. Thostenson, Inglewood, Calif., assigner to Salsbury Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California (Cl. ISO- 77) 6 Claims.

This application is a division oi my copending application, Serial No. 482,865, led April 13, 1943, entitled Turret truck.

My invention relates to industrial trucks such as those used to transport moderate loads over comparatively short distances, as, for example, from one location in a warehouse or factory to another. An object of the invention is to provide such a truck which has great maneuvera bility so that it can be used in places crowded with merchandise, machine parts, or other materials.

A further object is to provide such a truck Which may be driven and controlled with great facility.

Further objects and advantages will be made evident hereinafter.

In the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only,

Fig. 1 is an elevation, partly in section, through the turret containing the driving mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a plan of the lower portion of the turret with Some of the upper parts omitted;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through the gas tank and gas control mechanism.

In all forms oi trucks, a driving mechanism such as that shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and details of which are shown in Fig. 3, is used. This driving mechanism includes an internal combustion engine I, which drives a driving wheel 2 through suitable mechanism. The driving mechanism is carried on a circular ring 3 which is free to rotate inside a frame Il. The entire engine With its fuel tank and all controls is carried on the ring 3 so that the driving mechanism can turn freely about an axis 6 6 which is perpendicular to the surface upon which the truck runs, so that the driving mechanism can push or pull the frame 4 in any direction at right angles to the axis 6 6. The direction of pull may be changed by turning the driving mechanism about the axis 6 5, so that without reversing the direction of rotation of the engine the frame Il can be pulled forward or backward or in any other horizontal direction.

The transmission mechanism which is shown consists of a driving pulley I6 on the engine shaft II, the driving pulley ill driving a driven pulley I2 through a V-belt I3. This transmission is similar to that shown in Patent No. 2,260,798, issued on October 28, 1941, to Bruce Burns, and contains an automatic clutch as described in said patent which is disconnected as long as the engine is running at idling, or below a certain critical speed, but which automatically engages so that the shaft la drives the pulley l@ only above this critical speed. A starting lever I pivoted at i5 and carrying a gear I8 which engages a pinion il on thev engine shaftV Il is used to start the internal combustion engine I. 'I'he pinion il has a ratchet clutch, so that after the engine is started by the pinion II the engine can rotate freely without driving the pinion il. Such starting devices for internal combustion engines are in common use, and many internal combustion engines now on the market include such a starter.` The pulleys iii and I2 are of variable diameter, as explained in said Patent No. 2,260,798, and these diameters are varied automatically, the diameter of the pulley I6 being increased and the diameter of the pulley I2 being decreased as the rotative speed of the wheel 2 and the surface speed of the truck increase, and vice versa. Thus, when the truck is moving at slow speeds, the transmission being in what is commonly called low gear, the engine I may turn 4N times as fast as the wheel 2, but as the vehicle speeds up, the pulley ratio changes gradually until the engine only turns N times as fast as the wheel 2. The transmission is then in high gear. This transmission is not my invention, is now in common use, and those who are interested in its construction or method of operation are respectfully referred to the above patent. The pulley l2 drives a sprocket I8 which drives a sprocket I9 through a chain 2G, and the sprocket i9 drives a sprocket 2l which drives a sprocket 22 through a chain 23, the sprocket 22 being connected to the driving wheel 2.

All of the above mechanism is mounted on a suitable structure 30 which is rigidly mounted on the circular member 3, This circular member 3 is guided horizontally by a plurality of small wheels 3l and vertically by small wheels 32 journalled in the frame li so that the circular member 3 and the above described mechanism can be freely turned in the frame 4 about the axis 6 6. The wheels 3l and 32 are merely friction reducing members, and, obviously, other mechanically equivalent means may be substituted for them. The wheel 2 is journalled to the structure 30 and turns with it. Rigidly secured to the structure 30 is a tubular handwheel 33 by means of which the structure 39 may be turned about the axis 6 6 by the truck driver. A sheetiron casing 3Q surrounds the engine and mechanism and is secured to the structure 33 and turns With it. It will be obvious that the entire driving mechanism including the engine I and the wheel 2 may be turned by the handwheel 33 so that the wheel 2 pulls the end of the frame in any direction about the axis 6-6.

The above described combination constitutes the subject-matter of my copending application of Serial No. 482,865, from which this application is divided.

Mounted above the engine I on the structure 30 is a gas tank 35, shown in Fig. 3, which is annular in shape, having a cylinder dening a central opening 36 extending therethrough. Gasoline from the tank 35 is delivered by gravity to a carburetor 31 mounted on and feeding fuel to the engine I. A novel arrangement of parts is provided by means of which the truck driver may control the carburetor 31 to regulate the feed of fuel to the engine I. A light-weight gas control ring 40 is provided which is mounted above and slightly inside the handwheel 33, where it can be readily reached by the lingers of the driver when he is grasping any part of the handwheel 33. When the ring 40 is parallel to the handwheel 33, the carburetoll 31 is set to feed only enough gasoline to the engine I to enable the engine to run slightly below the critical speed at which the centrifugal clutch, not shown but included in the transmission, engages. If the ring 4D is pushed down, the amount of fuel fed to the engine is increased. The mechanism by which this is accomplished is shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 3.

The ring 40 is carried by spokes 4I on a hub 42. Threaded in the hub 42 is a pin 43 having a concavity 44 at its lower end. The pin is carried in a ball 45 secured in a member 46 by a nut 41, the member 46 being rigidly secured to a plate 48 which is a part of the structure 3U. The concavity 44 engages the end of a plunger 49 which can move vertically in a tube 50 which is also secured to the structure 3D. A compression spring I holds the pin in its upper position, as shown in Fig. 3. If the ring 40 is pushed down, the ring and the spokes 4I, the hub 42, and the pin 43 turn about a point central in the ball 45. The plunger 49 is connected to the carburetor by a rod 52 in such a manner that when this rod is forced downwardly, the supply of fuel to the engine is increased, and it is so forced downwardly when the ring 40 is tilted from a position parallel to the handwheel 33.

The above described throttle control structure constitutes the subject-matter of my copending application of Serial No. 596,238, filed May 28, 1945.

It is convenient to provide a hand brake on the wheel 2 so that the operator can brake this wheel and prevent it from pulling on the frame'4. For

this purpose I provide a brake ring 55 acting as a brake lever which may be pivoted as shown at 56 on the structure 36, so that it can turn about an axis parallel to the axis of the wheel 2. Mounted on the brake ring 55 is a notched-plate 51 which engages a roller 58 carried on a lever 59 which is pivoted on the structure 30 at 60. The other end of this lever 59 is connected to a brake pull rod 6I' which is connected to a brake lever 62 by which the brake, not shown, is actuated. The brake may be internal-expanding, or any other well known form of brake. When the brake ring 55 is either pushed down or pulled up into the position shown at 63 in Fig. 1, the notched plate 51 pushes the roller 58 down and thusV applies the brake.

A truck driver may stand on a platform in front of the turret 66 consisting of the structure 30 and the parts carried thereby. He starts the engine by means of the lever I4, and the engine 4 then runs below the critical speed, so that the centrifugal clutch is not engaged and no driving force is applied to the wheel 2. He then grasps the handwheel 33 and turns the turret 66 so that 5 the wheel 2 will push or pull the frame 4 in whatever direction he wishes to go. If he then pushes down on the gas control ring 40, the supply of gasoline fed to the engine I by the carburetor 31 is increased, the engine speeds up and the centrifugal clutch engages so that the wheel 2 is energized, and the truck starts. The driver can turn the turret 66 Vso that the frame is pulled in any direction about the axis 5 6. When he wishes to stop, he releases the gas control ring 40 and pulls upwardly or `pushes downwardly on the brake ring 55 to apply the brake.

Such a driving turret may be applied to many forms of truck bodies, such as that shown at 10 in the drawings, this body being supplied with two rear Wheels. A foot brake operating on one or both rear wheels may be operated by either of two pedals 12. The pedal 'I2 is pivoted on the frame 4, as shown at 13, and is held in its upper position by a compression spring, not shown.

When the pedal 12 is depressed, the brakes on the rear wheels, which may be of any well known type, are released by a push rod 15.

The principal advantage of this type of truck is that the wheel 2 can pull or push the body in any direction, which is determined by the position of the turret 65. The operator, by using the handwheel 33, can turn the turret in any direction or from any position to any other position, since the mechanism inside the turret is entirely self-contained and not connected except through the wheels 3i and 32 with the remainder of the truck.

The automatically shifting power transmission enables the truck to start heavy loads` and pull 4Q such loads up ramps in low gear, and the gear .shifts toward high when the truck is rolling, the

gear ratio gradually changing automatically up or down to suit changing load conditions. The truck th-us has an automatic transmission, and

no gear shift lever or other operator-controlled mechanism is necessary. The centrifugal clutch does away with a clutch pedal or other operatorcontrolled mechanism. When the gas control ring 40 is depressed, the engine speeds up, the

clutch engages, and the truck starts. When pressure on the ring 4D is released, the gas is shut oi, and as the truck and engine slow down, the clutch releases and the engine idles. Especially important is the fact that steering by the handwheel gas control by the ring 4B, and

braking by the lever 55 are readily accessible to the driver 55, whatever his position with relationto the turret 6.6.

The notchedplate 51 applies they brake if it is rotated in either direction about the pivot 58 from its full position, as shown in full lines in Fig. l. In other words, the front wheel' brak-e is applied by pushing the brake ring 55 down into the position 53 or pulling it upwardly from its central position. This is an advantage as when the driver has his foot cn the pedal l2', or is standing, he can exert force upwardly more conveniently than downwardly. Obviously, the driver need not stand, and in some embodiments. of

70 the invention a seat may be provided yfor him on the body. For short haul industrial purposes, a standing position is most advantageous, as the driver can get on and off quickly and can move and turn around easily to see where he is going.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a truck, having a body and a turret turning freely about a vertical axis, said turret being supported on a wheel rotating about a horizontal axis fixed in said turret, the combination of a brake for said Wheel; a brake operating ring encircling the turret and pivoted about a horizontal axis xed with relation to said turret; and means by which rotation of said brake ring about said axis either Way from neutral position applies said brake.

2. In a truck, having a body and a turret turning freely about a vertical axis, said turret being supported on a wheel rotating about a horizontal axis xed in said turret, the combination of: a brake for said wheel; a brake operating ring movably mounted on and encircling the turret in such a position as to be readily grasped by the hand of an operator; and means by which movement of said ring by the operator actuates said brake.

3. In a truck, having a body and a turret turning freely about a vertical axis, said turret being supported on a wheel rotating about a horizontal axis xed in said turret, the combination of: a brake for said Wheel; a brake operating ring encircling the turret and pivoted about a horizontal axis xed with relation to said turret; and means by which rotation of said brake operating ring about said axis from neutral position applies said brake.

4. In a vehicle of the type described, the combination of: a driving Wheel; a structure in which the aforesaid parts are mounted and carried; a body upon which an operator may b-e carried; means for so mounting said structure in said body that the structure may be turned in said body about a vertical axis;A` a brake for said wheel; a brake pull rod by which said brake may be operated, said pull rod extending upwardly and being carried by said structure; means by Which said brake is applied Whenever tension is exerted on said brake rod; a. brake control lever pivoted about a horizontal axis fixed in relation to such structure; and means by which rotation of said lever about said axis in either direction exerts tension on said brake rod.

5. In a vehicle of the type described, the combination of: a driving Wheel; a structure in which the aforesaid parts are mounted and carried; a body upon which an operator may be carried;

means for so mounting said structure in said body that the structure may be turned in said body about a vertical axis; a brake for said Wheel; a brake pull rod by which said brake may be operated, said pull rod extending upwardly and being carried by said structure; means by Which said brake is applied Whenever tension is exerted on said pull rod; an operating lever turning about a horizontal axis iixed With relation to said structure, the upper end of said pull rod being secured to said operating lever; a brake control levery pivoted on a horizontal axis fixed with relation to said structure; and means by which said brake control lever exerts tension on said pull rod through said operating lever.

6. In a vehicle of the type described, a combination oi: a driving Wheel; a structure in which the aforesaid parts are mounted and carried; a body upon which an operator may be carried; means for so mounting said structure in said body that the structure may be turned in said body about a vertical axis; a brake for said wheel; a brake pull rod by which said brake may be operated, said pull rod extending upwardly and being carried by said structure; means by which said brake is applied Whenever tension is exerted on said pull rod; an operating lever turning about a horizontal axis iixed with relation to said structure, the upper end of said pull rod being secured to said operating lever; a brake control lever pivoted on a horizontal axis xed with relation to said structure and surrounding said structure so that it is accessible to the operator in all angular positions of said structure; and means by which said brake control lever exerts tension on said pull rod through said operating lever.

LEWIS D. THOSTENSON.

REFERENCES CITED' The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,663,299 Grist Mar. 20, 1928 1,346,914 Sauvage July 20, 1920 2,260,798 Burns Oct. 28, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date '725,871 French Feb. 22, 1932 

